Writing is a huge part of who I am. I’ve been doing it since I was a wee lad, and continued through high school, college, and grad school. Now, I still get to write, as far as time allows. This summer has been all kinds of crazy, with three family reunions to attend, family staying with us for weeks at a time, and other time-consuming activities that are fun, even though they don’t involve writing. It’s little doubt to anyone that I’ve had a summer break from writing.
With all that’s been going on this summer, I was only a little surprised to find I hadn’t worked on my novel in over a month. Even then, the times I did get to work on writing before all the craziness happened, I still only got in a few writing sessions a month. I had hoped to have finished my second draft of Beneath the Haze by now, but alas, such is life. Still, I calculated that as long as I edit at least 10 pages a day (on the days I have scheduled to write), I’ll be done by October. That’s just over a month and a half! That’s doable!
I just want to say, also, that while I’ve missed writing, it’s been nice to spend more time with my wife and other family throughout this summer. Last night was the first time I’ve been back to writing since the craziness began, and while I certainly loved being back, I realized that my time away from writing helped give me that added excitement. I felt refreshed and ready to complete my task in finishing the second draft. There isn’t much I’ll skip out on writing for, but family is one of them, and yes, writing is missed, but the times I had with family trump all.
Sometimes, we just need a break from things, even if those things are what we love. Breaks and vacations help our minds renew and re-focus on what’s important. For me, writing is very important. But when it comes down to it, family is the most important of anything. So while I’ve taken a break from writing and missed writing, I’m glad I did in order to spend more time with my crazy family.